When I had the chance to talk to the legendary Chuck McCann (Columbo & Far Out Space Nuts), the interview was supposed to be 15 minutes long, but we ended up talking for over an hour. One of the things discussed was his love of the comic duo Laurel and Hardy. Their career went from the silent era to talkies. They also made the step up from making shorts for Hal Roach to feature films for other studios. They became Hollywood icons that were always impersonated. McCann played Oliver Hardy in a series of commercials for wiper blades (you can see one at the bottom of this review). He was very passionate about keeping the legacy of the comic duo alive for future fans to enjoy their comic genius. It’s hard to imagine Laurel and Hardy becoming obscure, but over the decades their feature films and shorts get less play on TV. Thankfully there is home video. Laurel & Hardy – The Definitive Restorations Volume 2 not only contains 8 short films, but they’ve been restored so they look better than if you saw them at the theater.
Men O’War (20:01) has Laurel and Hardy as sailors on leave flirting with two attractive women a local pond. There’s a great routine when they attempt to buy drinks for the girls with only 15 cents. The sodas were only nickel each back then. The plan goes bad when Laurel orders a drink for himself too. Perfect Day (20:58) includes the 1929 original and 1937 reissue version. Both run the same length. The second has more music and an optical soundtrack. The first features the soundtrack being taken off disc. Stan and Ollie plan on taking their women on a picnic except Edgar Kennedy (the master of the slow burn) is tagging along even with his hurting gout foot. Everything goes wrong when they try to get their car ready to head out to the picnic site.
Blotto (26:22) is the 1937 remake. Silent version (21:46) is from 1930. Laurel wants to go out for the night with Hardy and his wife isn’t down with it. The final show features a wild effect of a car deconstructing on the road. Andrew Earle Simpson composes music for the film. Voice & Effects Track skips the music. The silent version was thought lost for decades. Brats (20:07) is the silent version from 1930 thought lost. The opening is still missing. Stan and Ollie have to look over young kids that are also played by them. They use an oversized set to make them look diminutive.
Another Fine Mess (28:29) has Laurel and Hardy hiding out from the cops for being vagrants in the park. They get stuck in the basement of a mansion. They discover the people watching the home are going on vacation so they stay over. But things get complicated when rich folks show up wanting to rent the place. The duo dress up as the help to keep up their cover. Voice & Effects Track Only has a different audio mix.
Dirty Work (19:40) has the duo as inept chimney sweeps. Things get even more out of control when they get hired to clean the fireplace of a mad scientist He is creating a youth potion. Going Bye-Bye! (21:07) has Laurel and Hardy testifying against a harden criminal. When the guy gets a life sentence, he promises revenge on them. They attempt to flee the city by placing an ad in the paper. The person who replies is the criminal’s girlfriend who wants to split the town. The criminal escapes and heads to his girlfriend’s apartment without knowing he can get revenge on them too.
Them Thar Hills (20:50) has Ollie suffering from such a horrible case of gout that his doctor prescribes time in the country to calm down. They rent a trailer and drive out. They camp out at an empty house with a well out front. What they don’t know is the feds just had a shootout with moonshiners there. All the bootleg liquor was poured into the well. What the duo think is clean mountain water is getting them drunk. Getting things more complicated is a couple (Mae Busch and Charley Hall) arrive and also partake in the healing water from the well. Tit For Tat (19:54) has Laurel & Hardy opening up an electronics store. Things are bumpy as they get things rolling to bring in the customers. This includes putting fresh bulbs in the electric sign. They drop by the grocery store next door and discover its run by Mae Busch and Charley Hall. Charley remembers these two and isn’t happy. There’s quite a bit of destruction on display. This is actually a sequel to Them Thar Hills so watch them in the right order.
The eight films included in Volume 2 are top rate. Laurel and Hardy are dealing with one mess after another mess except most of the time they’re making the messes. What’s interesting getting to compare the silent versions with the “talkie” update is how they made the silent films feel dialogue appropriate. It’s no wonder they easily made the transition when the technology changed. Laurel & Hardy – The Definitive Restorations Volume 2 is a joy to watch. While was laughing, I could feel the spirit of Chuck McCann watching along with me.
The Video is 1.33:1 full frame. The movies are nearly 100 years old. The restoration work brings out the details in the sets before Stan and Ollie destroy everything. One of the people in charge of the restoration is Jeff Joseph at Sabu Cat. My old boss Ray Regis was always talking about Jeff Joseph in nice ways (which was rare for Ray). Good to see Jeff is part of such a wonderful project. The Audio is LPCM 2.0 Mono. The restoration to the soundtrack keeps things sounding great.
Audio Commentaries are provided on each short with either Randy Skretvedt, Richard W. Bann.
Galaxy of Stars (8:36) is a 1936 MGM promo Film. Laurel and Hardy clean up a massive telescope as upcoming films are revealed. This is the French dub. You see the old MGM studios from the air. Joan Crawford has a new one along with the Marx Brothers.
There Goes My Heart (3:40) is the trailer for a 1938 film written by Ed Sullivan (the guy who had the Beatles and Elvis on his variety show). Along with clips from the film, there’s a tour of Hal Roach studios. You can spot Hardy in a shot. Trailer Outtakes (3:59) is more of Hal’s studio without sound.
Ship’s Reporter (5:47) is from when Laurel and Hardy took a cruise on the Queen Mary in 1952. During the fun interview Hardy mentions that he and Laurel don’t argue which is the secret to their success. Neither man wanted to be the real comedy genius. They were happy as a tandem.
This Is Your Life: Laurel and Hardy (29:23) is the TV series that surprised stars with biographies. In this case Laurel and Hardy are in a hotel room thinking this is a business proposal in 1954. Instead, the camera comes out to reveal they’re on TV. The host introduces them to people they haven’t seen in decades. It’s good to see them. Hardy would pass away in a few years after this. The cosmetics ads are cute.
Hal Roach Backlot Interview (4:59) is the final days of the studio before the land was sold in the early ’60s. Hal stands on the street sharing a few memories. The place would be bulldozed soon after this ABC news report.
Galleries for each short have hundreds of press stills, press kits, exhibitionist kits, posters, newspaper ads and more.
Trailer Gallery includes Pardon Us (German version), Fra Diavolo (British version), Bohemian Girl, Our Relations and Swiss Miss.
MVD Visual, Kit Parker Films & Sabu Cat present Laurel & Hardy – The Definitive Restorations Volume 2. Starring Stan Lauren & Oliver Hardy. Boxset Contents: 8 shorts on 2 Blu-ray discs. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: November 11, 2025.
